nick

[[t]nɪ̱k[/t]]

nicks, nicking, nicked

1) VERB If someone nicks something, they steal it. [BRIT, INFORMAL]

[V n] He smashed a window to get in and nicked a load of silver cups...

[V n] We used to nick biscuits from the kitchen.

Syn:

pinch

2) VERB If the police nick someone, they arrest them. [BRIT, INFORMAL]

[V n] The police nicked me for carrying an offensive weapon...

[get/be V-ed] Keep quiet or we'll all get nicked.

Syn:

pick up, nab

3) N-COUNT: usu sing, usu the N The nick is a prison, or a police station. [BRIT, INFORMAL]

After several years banged up in the nick, even you might start to go mad.

4) VERB If you nick something or nick yourself, you accidentally make a small cut in the surface of the object or your skin.

[V n] When I pulled out of the space, I nicked the rear bumper of the car in front of me...

[V n] A sharp blade is likely to nick the skin and draw blood...

[V pron-refl] He dropped a bottle in the kitchen and nicked himself on broken glass.

5) N-COUNT A nick is a small cut made in the surface of something, usually in someone's skin.

The barbed wire had left only the tiniest nick just below my right eye.

6) VERB If you are nicked by someone, they cheat you, for example by charging you too much money. [AM, INFORMAL]

[be V-ed] College students already are being nicked, but probably don't realize it.

Syn:

rip off

7) PHRASE: v-link PHR Nick is used in expressions such as `in good nick' or `in bad nick' to describe the physical condition of someone or something. [BRIT, INFORMAL]

His ribs were damaged, but other than that he's in good nick...

Tom's house is actually in better nick than mine.

8) PHRASE: usu PHR after v (emphasis) If you say that something happens in the nick of time, you are emphasizing that it happens at the last possible moment.

Seems we got here just in the nick of time...

News of interest cuts came in the nick of time for borrowers.

Syn:

just in time